Alice Returns to Wonderland - my idea of 'Alice in Wonderland 3'
by teatimeforever
Summary: Alice Kingsleigh and Helen Kingsleigh just completed their first expedition together, along with Mr. James Harcourt and the rest of the crew. They've decided to take a break from sailing for a while. Stuff begins happening all at once. New adventures await and a new face appears. How will Alice keep up? Will she overcome troubles both at home and in Underland?
1. Chapter 1

Alice Returns to Wonderland - my idea of AiW3

"Captain ashore!" Alice stepped off the Wonder and paced towards Kingsleigh & Kingsleigh. Three more years had passed. 'Three long years at sea' Alice thought. She stood facing the business proudly while Mrs. Kingsleigh and Mr. Harcourt followed behind her and stood in the same position. "Three years at sea. Our job is complete," Alice commented and turned around to face her mother and James, "I think it might be time to rest for a while before our next voyage." She smiled to her companions. "I completely agree, my dear. You've worked so hard," said Helen. "We've worked hard," Alice wrapped her arms around Helen and James for a quick hug. "Come along, Mr. Harcourt. I have something for you to finish," Mrs. Kingsleigh directed him to the business. "Of course, I also have something I want to discuss with you, Mrs. Kingsleigh," he tipped his hat at Alice, flashed her a small smile, and followed Helen. Alice nodded to him in return. "Catch up with us later, Alice. We have much to do," Helen requested before pointing her finger at Alice and entering the business.

Alice thought she would take a stroll around her village before heading to work again. She traveled almost all the way to where the Ascots used to live - to the rabbit hole. Some say the Ascots' business was outrun about a year after she sailed off again. Alice wasn't certain what to think. There were so many rumours on what happened to them. She had heard that they had simply quit the business and moved to the south. Alice sat before the rabbit hole she had fallen down more than five years ago. The tree above it was still rooted in place but it was so much duller than she remembered, as was the grass around it. She sat criss-cross right at the edge of the hole staring down into it. Her hands played with the brownish grass as her mind replayed all the memories from "Wonderland," as Alice used to call it until she learned this wonderful place was called Underland. She recollected the memories of both her journeys. The first time she fell down this very hole into the magical world and the second time she traveled through a curious looking glass in the Ascot residency. In her mind, she saw glimpses of her friends and the maddest things she did in Underland, such as slaying the Jabberwocky and rescuing the Hatter's family. She wonders how Iracebeth and Mirana are doing since they've reconciled. She wonders what her friends have been up to. She wonders how Tarrant is doing. She wished she hadn't had to leave him like that, but she had to go. She had duties to accomplish. Alice unconsiously picked a flower off the ground; it seemed to be the only one with life. This reminded her so much of Underland and her many friends. She couldn't help but let a few tears fall as she recalled more memories. She stayed for a few good minutes and finally got the strength to get up and leave the place where she made beautiful memories.

It was now noon and Mrs. Kingsleigh hadn't yet finished her paperwork inside the business. So much was going through her head, especially with what Mr. Harcourt was planning on doing that evening. Helen stood before a big wooden desk, completely ignoring her work for a second as something caught her attention. In front of her was a huge, gorgeous mirror. It had once belonged to Mr. Kingsleigh; it was one of his most loved posessions. Helen and Alice decided to move it into the business after much debate. They liked to believe Charles was watching over them and their business so they put it right there above the desk. Helen smiled a bit while looking at the treasure, almost getting teary-eyed. "I miss him so much," Alice came up behind her mother, startling her a little. "We all do, my love," she paused holding back a tear then continuing, "He would be so proud of his girls. If only he could see you two now." Alice rested her chin on her mother's shoulder and said, "I bet he's looking down at all three of us right now being the proudest father and husband out there." They stayed for a few more minutes like this admiring the mirror before Helen broke their sweet silence, "You know, I also bet Charles is wondering when you're going to give us grandchildren." She smirked at her daughter. "Mother!" Alice whimpered at Mrs. KIngsleigh's statement and opened a gap between them. She looked at her mother after chuckling for a moment and emphasized,"I will marry once I am ready and find the right person." Her mind drifted for a second trying to figure out if she'd already met that right person or not. "Time moves fast, my darling. I'm just warning you f-" Mrs. KIngsleigh stopped before she said any more. Alice looked up at her mother waiting for her to finish and Helen continued, "I just want you to live a normal life." She grabbed her daughter's hands and looked down at her. "Mother, you and I both know I'm not normal," Alice stated before she and Helen shared a small laugh.


	2. Chapter 2

Helen and Alice looked at their reflections through the mirror and Alice couldn't help but reminisce what happened that day she and her mother went to the Ascots. Images played through her head of how she stole the chronosphere to save Hatter and how she nearly destroyed Underland and all of Time. She wonders what would have happened if she had just been a second late in restoring the chronospere back to its place. Alice shuddered and broke out of her trance, "Well, I'm going to go see if the crew needs help." She gave her mother a quick kiss on the cheek before heading towards the door to leave Helen back to her work. "Alice..." Mrs. KIngsleigh swiftly turned to face her daughter and hesitated a bit before finishing, "Mr. Harcourt wanted to see you before sundown. He..." she paused again and took a deep breath, "He wants to discuss an important matter with you. Meet him at the dock later." Alice glanced back at her mother and noticed something off about her behaviour but decided to drop it and responded, "Okay." She gave Helen a little nod before turning to the exit.

'Brillig' Alice thought. "Four o'clock," Alice stated and faced her co-workers, "I should be getting ready to meet Mr. Harcourt. I heard he has something major to converse about." The men stopped their work for a moment to give Alice a suggestive look. Some made remarks about the two. However, she was completely oblivious to these actions. "Gentlemen, I must be on my way," Alice smiled and left with a small crate. She traveled back to the dock to meet Mr. Harcourt.

Not too far from the dock, Helen sat in the same position inside the busniess. She had so much paperwork to go through; it might take days to get it all done. After all, she and Alice were gone for about three years. She should've been expecting this, working in a company like this. Every few minutes, when Mrs. Kingsleigh took a break and let her hands rest, she would glance up at her late husband's mirror. There it was directly in front of her with all its beauty. She smiled at the idea that Charles was with her. Just as she lifted her pen and was preparing to fill out more work, the mirror started to shimmer. 'It must be the sunset' she thought. That was when the glass began to glow. Helen's eyes grew wide as she scooted back and rose from her chair in disbelief. It was nearly dark and this mirror was glowing more intensly by the minute. She couldn't believe what was occuring before her very eyes. She was frozen so she couldn't move to go get someone. 'As if somebody would believe me if I told them there was a glowing mirror in my shop' Mrs. Kingsleigh thought to herself. She just stood there in shock in front of this peculiar item. After a few minutes, the mirror developed waves similar to that of the ocean. It was still shimmering and glowing. Helen didn't know what to make of this. "Is this real?" she asked herself. As she said this, she lifted her arm out in front of her and moved forward to touch this mystery. She was suprised to find that her hand went right through the mirror. She moved her hand back briskly and stood in bewilderment, examining her hand, "How very curious." She then thought for a moment and said, "I must be going mad." Helen leaned again toward the mirror but before she could touch the mirror again or even react, a large rough hand came out of it, grabbed her arm, and dragged her into the mirror.

James stood at the edge of the dock, away from the ships, waiting for Alice. Alice left her small crate right outside of the business and walked to him. She saw that he was dressed in a rather fancy suit but didn't think much of it. She turned around away from the sea and faced him. "My mother said you had some type of business to discuss, Mr. Harcourt?" she stated firmly. The dock was usually busy but not as busy as today. It was super crowded, which was odd. "Yes, well...erm..Miss KIngsleigh..." he began but she interupted, "Mr. Harcourt, how many times do I have to tell you, you can call me 'Alice'." He looked nervously at her, "Right, erm...Alice. There is no way to beat around the bush with this one but," he stopped and took a huge deep breath, "it wasn't business I wanted to discuss with you. It's a much more personal topic." Alice stared back at him with a clearly confused expression. He continued, "You see, over these past few years of us traveling the world together and getting to know each other, I've grown rather fond of you. And I...I think I've fallen in love with you so," he got down on his knees and grabbed her hands. Alice's eyes widened as she wasn't expecting anything like this. Mr. Harcourt looked up into her eyes and said, "Alice, will you marry me?" He flashed a big genuine smile. Alice, still in shock, was left speechless. After looking down at him for a few minutes, she managed to get some words out, "Mr. Harcourt...James, I..." she couldn't finish her response because when she glanced up for a split second, someone colorful - and familiar - caught her eye on the pier. They seemed to be rushing away from the couple toward the Kingsleigh & Kingsleigh business. "James," she looked back down at him, "give me a moment," her hands broke away from his as he was left stranded there with a heartbroken facial expression. Alice ran through the crowds of people to catch up with this person. She'd know that hat and those bright ribbons anywhere! "Hatter!" Alice frantically called out to him as she tried get through everyone on the port. "Hatter! Wait!" she desperately called out. He seemed to ignore her and carry on faster to where he was headed. She saw him turn the corner and walk into the business. She hurried along and finally got to the building. Alice ran inside shutting and locking the door behind her.


	3. Chapter 3

Alice looked around one last time to confirm that nobody was in fact in the building. "I was certain I saw him go in here," she frowned while observing her surroundings. "Maybe I'm just as mad as mother claims." That was when her eyes wandered to the desk where Helen had been working moments before. Papers were scattered, the pencil holder was tipped over with its contents scattered all over the desk and the floor. That one particular area was a mess. Alice slowly walked over to figure out where her mother went. "That's odd. Mother didn't say anything about leaving anytime soon." She looked down studying some pages that were scattered. 'Perhaps she finished some and decided to call it quits for today' she thought. She didn't know what to make of the situation. Suddenly the mirror in front of her shimmered lightly. This caught Alice's attention and she snapped her head up. When she looked at it, her reflection had been distorted by waves just like the ones that manifested when she passed through the mirror at the Ascots. Her face then drained at one single thought that came to mind. "She couldn't...could she?"Alice then started frantically pacing back and forth in the room, lifting her arms to her head while trying to think. She suddenly stopped and looked back to her father's mirror, remembering what just happened seconds ago. It was still in the same state. "Well it's now or never I suppose," Alice took a deep breath. She put a foot on the chair and hopped onto the table. She let her hair loose from her hair tie recalling what happened the last two times when she had her hair styled all nice. "Please be okay, Mother," she said under her breath as she stepped into the looking glass.

When Alice stepped out of the mirror, she had expected a rough landing. Instead, she felt hard floor beneath her feet and she was greeted by all too familiar white hallways and doors. "Now that's something new," she whispered to herself. 'No sign of mother' she thought. She then walked down to the left hoping to find Mrs. Kingsleigh. "Pardon Miss, may I help you?" Alice turned around to be face to face with a smiling Tarrant. Her frown instantly turned into a huge grin. "Hatter!" she threw her arms around him in an warm embrace. She pulled away from hug and looked at him. "You startled me!" she exclaimed. "My apologies, Alice. I didn't mean to scare you. I was around that corner awaiting your arrival and I wanted to surprise you." She could tell he was as excited to see her as she was to see him. "I knew I hadn't gone completely insane when I saw you walk into that building," she said. "I was just trying to make sure you followed me into Underland," he explained, "The people up there gave me the strangest looks, by the way. Anyway..." Hatter linked arms with Alice as he led her down to the grand hall, "Come, we must meet with the White Queen. She has important matters to discuss with you."


	4. Chapter 4

A.N. : Thank you for the kind reviews I appreciate them so much. I will try to update this story as often as I can. Don't freak out if I hadn't updated in a while as I'm always thinking of this story and ways to develop it. I'm thinking of the plot as I go so it's a true work in progress. Thank you x

Alice and Tarrant reached the hall and he let go of her arm. There was a long table set up in the middle of the room with many seats surrounding it. Mirana, unaware of their presence, was seated and chatting with members of her court whose backs were turned against them. "Can we have these," she said picking daphne flowers off the table and pointing to where Alice and Hatter stood, "over- Alice!" Mirana finally saw the couple standing there and immediately got up and walked over to them. McTwisp, Bayard and Mallymkun were also in the room and ran over to their friends. "You're back," McTwisp smiled up at Alice before hugging her leg. "You're late, as always," Mally scolded her. Mirana gave Alice a quick hug then grabbed both her hands, "How are you, dear?" Alice looked at her, "A bit confused if I'm honest." The queen led her to the table by one hand, "I have exciting news to share with you." She stopped before getting to her seat and turned to Alice, "I'm getting married!" The White Queen had the biggest smile on her face. "I thought I had to save Underland again," she commented, "but that's indeed very exciting. Congratulations, your majesty." She hugged Mirana once more. "I'm also so glad you could make it. I sent the Hatter to go fetch you." Mirana then turned to Tarrant, "Excellent job." He showed off a proud smile. At that moment, Alice realized something. "Your majesty, I don't mean to rude but actually the reason I went through the looking glass was to see if my mother was here. I couldn't find her in our shop. I was led to believe she accidentally traveled here," she told the White Queen with hopeful eyes. Mirana looked at one of her court members and said, "Go get Helen, please." Then she said to Alice, "Oh yes, there was a strange woman passed out right outside of Marmoreal. When she regained consciousness, she told us she hadn't a clue what happened and how she ended up here. I was very certain she was related to you. She looks so much like you. We put her under medical care to make sure she was alright, though she seemed absolutely fine." Alice let out a sigh of relief at Mirana's words. Mrs. Kingsleigh came into the room guided by a guard. "Mother!" Alice ran to her and engulfed her in a hug. "Are you alright?" she asked her noticing her mother's puzzled face. "Yes, but where am I, where are we?" Alice thought of her response, fearing it might alarm her. "We're in Underland, mother." Helen fainted and fell back in her arms.

Mrs. Kingsleigh awoke in the same room she was in hours before. "Good you're up," Alice smiled down at her. "Are we still in 'Underland'?" Helen rose from the bed and asked her daughter. Alice hesitated before answering with simply a yes. "How did you even get down here in the first place?" Alice asked. "I don't know. All I remember is waking up in this room." Helen said. She waited a while before responding, "I'm sure this is just a bad dream." Alice accepted her mother's comment and left it as is. Mrs. Kingsleigh stood up and Alice grabbed her hand and led her back to the grand hall. "Come, there's some people I want you to meet." She walked to the table and introduced Mirana to her mother. "Mother, this is her majesty, Mirana." The White queen smiled at Helen and said, "Nice to formally meet you, Mrs. Kingsleigh." Alice butted in, "The Queen is getting married." Mirana told them both, "Tomorrow's the day, ladies. Please stay, Mrs. Kingsleigh. I'd love to have you here, along with your daughter, to celebrate with me on my special day." Helen hesitated and said, " Your majesty, I apologize but we must get going back to our home. There's much work to be done. Come along, Alice." She took a hold of Alice's wrist and was about drag her out of the room to look for an exit. "Mother, please, let's stay. It's the queen's big day. She's my friend. Please," Alice begged. Helen thought and looked back at the queen, who displayed a sorrowful face. "Fine. I'd be happy to attend," Mrs. Kingsleigh announced and faked a smile then walked back with her daughter to the table.

"This is my closest friend, Tarrant Hightopp," Alice presented Hatter to Helen after introducing her to almost everyone in the hall. "Hatter, this is my mother, Helen Kingsleigh." Alice smiled at both of them then stepped back a little. "It's lovely to meet you, Mrs. Kingsleigh," Tarrant grabbed Helen's hand and planted a small kiss on it. He caught her off guard, "Oh, what a gentleman." She smiled at Alice. 'So far, so good' Alice thought. She went to stand next to Mirana, "So, who's the lucky groom?"


	5. Chapter 5

"His name is William," Mirana said while studying two pieces of ribbon in her hands, one lavender colored and the other lilac. "I just met him a year ago, though you'll most likely meet him tomorrow since he isn't around much," she chose the lavendar colored ribbon and set it next to the small bouquet of daphne flowers she had previously picked out, "William is quite a reserved person." Alice and Helen looked down at the ribbons and flowers the queen set down. "Your majesty," Alice said, "Why are you planning out the wedding today? You said tomorrow was the day?" Mirana gave them an embarrassed smile, "I guess I was too love-struck to have done it much sooner. But, really, it's only the reception that's not quite done yet. We're holding it here." Helen then spoke up, "Are you sure you can get it done by tomorrow?" The queen smiled back at her confidently, "Very certain, Mrs. Kingsleigh." Alice thought of an idea and looked to her mother and asked, "Can we help set it up?" Mirana smiled at them both, "If you really want to, of course." Tarrant spoke up, "I'll help too, your majesty!" Mrs. Kingsleigh put on a smile but thought 'When will I wake up?'

After hours of decorating the hall, it was time to rest as nightfall overcame them. They had finished rather fast because almost everyone in the castle had decided to help. "Now, where will we sleep?" Helen turned to Alice, who was making sure the table decorations were in place. "Here, of course, Mrs. Kingsleigh. There's plenty of room for my guests of honor," Mirana interfered. "Actually," Tarrant interrupted them, "I was hoping Mrs. Kingsleigh and Alice would like to stay at my house. We just expanded it since my family moved in. I have a spare room." Alice turned to her mother and Mirana, "Well, I still haven't properly met the Hightopps." Mirana smiled at them and waved her arms in the air, "Splendid. Wherever you're comfortable, my dear." Tarrant was overjoyed at Alice's choice, "Come along then. I'm sure my parents would love to meet both of you!" He linked arms with Alice and Helen and the trio walked out to the Hatter's home.

"Mother, Father!" Tarrant called out while entering the house. "We have guests!" He shut the door behind them and took Alice's and Helen's coats and hung them on the coat rack near the door. Zanik and Tyva came from around the staircase while the rest of Tarrant's family came down the stairs. "This is Alice," he introduced his friend then turned to Helen, "and this is her mother, Mrs. Kingsleigh." Tyva and Zanik stepped forward to shake their hands, "The Alice?" Tyva asked then continued, "The one Tarrant won't stop going on about?!" Hatter had the most embarrassed look on his face and whispered, "Mother!" She gave them both a cheeky smile while Alice blushed. "Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Hightopp," Alice said.


	6. Chapter 6

The Hightopps and Kingsleighs sat at a large rectangular table. They ate scones and biscuits and drank tea. Laughs erupted here and there and eventually, even Mrs. Kingsleigh was having a good time. She and Tarrant's parents chatted for the longest time then Alice spoke up about her adventures out at sea and Helen joined her. The Hightopps made her forget a bit about upperland. 'Maybe this place is real' Helen thought as she sipped the last drop of her tea. 'But how exactly did I get here and why' was the question that lingered in her mind. Helen looked at Alice, who was in a deep conversation with Tarrant and his relatives and thought 'Maybe her madness has rubbed off on me and I'm hallucinating.' She really couldn't get her head around any of this yet she was enjoying herself with these wonderful people.

"...and we escaped them and now here I am still in one piece," Alice finished telling her story of that one time when she and her crew escaped the pirates and made it out alive. Tarrant's cousins seemed very intrigued by this girl's stories. "Tell us more please," Paloo begged. "Darling, it's getting late," Tyva said before Alice could go on, "we best be getting to bed now, we don't want to be late for the queen's wedding. Alice and Helen must be tired too." She looked at them and smiled. "Tarrant, please show these ladies to their room," she ordered her son. "Right this way," he nodded his head towards the stairs and Helen and Alice followed him up to the third floor. "Your room," he opened the first door on the right and let them in. The room was enormous and the walls were a light blue color. There was a large elegant bed in the center. "Do you, by any chance, have nightgowns?" Alice asked. "In there," Tarrant said, pointing to a small drawer hidden in the far right corner. "If you need anything else, I'll be downstairs. Goodnight." he said, smiling at them. "Thank you, Hatter," Alice called out to him as he left the room.

Downstairs, the Hightopps were cleaning up the table and washing the dishes. "Alice is a lovely girl, son," Zanik told his son while he was helping Tyva to dry the plates. Tarrant popped the last of a scone he was eating into his mouth. He smiled at his father while Tyva agreed with Zanik. "You should marry her," Zanik smirked. Tarrant choked on his scone and rushed to get some tea to wash it down. Mr. Hightopp laughed at how a blush creeped onto his son's pale face. Hatter turned to his parents and just simply said, "She's my friend." Zanik then whispered, "You're not getting any younger, boy," and he patted his back.

Four hours passed and now it was one in the morning. Alice was wide awake while Helen was turned away from her in a deep sleep. She could hear light snores coming from her mother. Alice quietly got up from the bed, careful not to wake Mrs. Kingsleigh, and headed towards the door. She shut it silently behind her and began to walk down the stairs. She walked only with her tip toes being careful of not to disturb Tarrant's family. She made it down to the first floor and being as curious as she was, Alice wandered around until she stumbled upon one of the most beautiful pianos she had ever seen. Her finger mindlessly went to one of the keys and pressed down on it. It made the softest noise she had ever heard from a piano. She sat down before it and started to play it in a delicate manner. It was loud enough as to only be heard from the first floor and quiet enough as to not wake anybody up and she absolutely loved it. "You can play?" Alice heard someone say directly behind her and she whipped around to see who it was. "Hatter, you startled me," she whispered to him. "Pardon," he had an apologetic look on his face. Tarrant sat down beside her. "Couldn't sleep, could you," he said in a low voice. She nodded, "Hardly." He faced her and said, "Me neither." He glanced down at her hands still on the piano keys and continued, "I didn't know you played." Alice smiled down at the instrument and softly stated, "My father taught me to play," she paused, "In fact, it's the only instrument I can play." She commenced to press down on the keys again, ever so lightly, creating a delicate melody. Tarrant joined her. Together, they produced a pleasant song. They smiled at each other as they finished it. "Not bad," Alice quietly commented. "It's Hightopp tradition to learn to play an instrument," he said. "You should be going to bed now. Tomorrow's a big day and my parents and I have a surprise for you and your mother." Alice rose from her seat and said, "Right. Well, goodnight Hatter." Tarrant smiled back at her in response. She hurried up the stairs and thought 'I wonder what this surprise is.'


	7. Chapter 7

Seven in the morning. The Hightopps sat at the table with the Kingsleighs. They were discussing the day's plans over breakfast. Then Tyva's remark made Alice raise an eyebrow in suspicion. "I wonder what the king-to-be will be like," she said. "You haven't met him yet?" Alice asked her with slight concern. "We have seen him around a few times, we just haven't had the chance to properly meet him. Though the chap looks quite friendly," Tarrant answered and then took a sip from his cup of tea. Tyva nodded, agreeing with her son. "He's a little too friendly if you ask me," Zanik chirped in, "I don't think he's the right man for the queen." Everyone ate the last of their food. The ceremony was to begin at noon. The Hightopps were already dressed in their finest clothes, and they were color coordinated. Each person had something lavender-colored or something close to it. It was in honor of the bride to be. Tarrant wore his normal hatter getup but instead of his normal brown shoes, he wore purple ones. Alice remembered them from when she went back to Toomalie day, the day Iracebeth came of age but lost the crown to her sister due to her outbursts. She recalled the event so clearly and also how Zanik and Tarrant argued after Iracebeth's crown broke. The hurt on Tarrant's face broke Alice and she chased after him. She smiled a bit at the thought of how stubborn the hatter was when she asked him to reconcile with his father. Alice broke out of her trance when she heard her mother complain about how she and her daughter didn't have proper outfits for the wedding. "Don't you worry about that. We have a surprise for you!" Tarrant exclaimed with a bright smile. Tyva and Zanik swiftly rose from their chairs and stood behind the Kingsleighs while they just sat there in confusion. "You're going to love these," Tyva whispered to them while she covered Helen's eyes and Zanik covered Alice's. Tarrant and his cousins ran to another room for a split second to retrieve something. They came back and sang "Ta-da!" in unison. Zanik and Tyva uncovered the Kingsleigh's eyes. Before them, on the table, lay two gorgeous light purple gowns. On top of each dress, were two small hats to match them. Helen and Alice were awe-struck. "My mother and my cousins worked on your dresses while my father and I worked on your hats. Do you like them?" Tarrant asked the ladies. "They're beautiful. We love them," Helen answered him and picked her dress off the table. Alice nodded and added, "They're wonderful. Thank you so much everyone." Zanik looked at the time and said, "You best be getting dressed then. We mustn't be late."

Mrs. Kingsleigh and Alice came down the stairs dressed in their new attire. The Hightopp clan were in awe looking at the women. "You look stunning, the both of you," Zanik told them as they reached them on the bottom floor. The rest of the Hightopps murmured compliments after him. Alice heard Aunt Bumalig say, "Absolutely ravishing!" It echoed in her mind from that time Hatter complimented Nobody after the Red Queen ate her snozzle. Alice looked down at the ground blushing as they exited Tarrant's house. "May I escort you, ma'am?" Tarrant's cousin, Pimlick, asked Helen. She looked up at him before saying, "Of course, why not?" Mrs. Kingsleigh smiled and they linked arms. Helen was starting to get more used to this place and its strange inhabitants. She kind of liked it. Yet, she still wasn't positive if Wonderland, or 'Underland' as everyone was calling it, was real. She pondered on this thought as everyone walked to the castle. Alice stayed behind a bit and waited for Hatter to finish locking up the house. Tarrant tugged on the door handle to make sure it was properly sealed. He turned around and held out his arm out to Alice. "M'lady," he said and Alice smiled then hooked her arm with his. They went to catch up with the rest.


	8. Chapter 8

As the gang was headed to the castle, they saw few groups of people walk into it. At the entrance was Mirana and to her left stood a man with light skin, dark eyes, and short, curly auburn colored hair. The couple were greeting their guests. Alice blushed as they got closer to the entrance. "Wow, he's quite good looking," she whispered to Hatter. "No wonder the queen was out of it." She wondered what the future king was like. Mirana noticed her friends coming her way. "Good morning, your highness," Zanik said and bowed down to her along with Tyva. "Good morning, my friends," she said in an undeniable joyful tone. Mirana turned to the man at her side and introduced everyone. "This is my fiance, Lord William," she turned to her friends, "William, this is Mr. and Mrs. Hightopp and their son, Tarrant. These are his aunt, uncle, and cousins." William shook each of their hands and gave the ladies a quick kiss on theirs. Mirana faced the Kingsleighs, "This is Mrs. Kingsleigh and her daughter, the one who restored all Underland, Alice." William finished kissing Helen's hand and turned to Alice, who seemed to be mesmerized by him. He gently took her hand in his and gave it a lingering kiss while he stared into her eyes. Alice didn't know what overcame her in the moment. Lord William's eyes were as dark as the midnight sky yet she couldn't look away. She felt hypnotized. Mirana seemed too oblivious to see what was happening among the two. Hatter looked between them and coughed rather loudly. Alice jumped and William let go of her hand, "It's such an honor to finally meet you," he turned to Tarrant and they gave each other cold stares that only they noted, "All of you." Alice felt a tad uncomfortable around William so she strolled over to Mirana. "Your majesty, shouldn't you be getting ready for your wedding," Alice reminded her. Realization hit the queen. "Right, we were only waiting for you lot. We mustn't be late! Come along, come inside. Help yourselves to anything. Make yourselves at home. The ceremony starts an hour past brilig!" she yelled to the group. "Come, love." Mirana dragged William with her and disappeared into a corner of the castle.

The guests of honor sat around in the grand hall - which was transformed into the reception room - waiting to be called outside for the wedding ceremony. McTwisp mentioned earlier that it was to be held outside in the queen's garden. It would overlook the stunning waterfalls Marmoreal had to offer. Alice stood looking out one of the windows of the castle; she was watching more and more guests step onto the castle grounds and make their way towards the enchanting garden. It was dressed with fresh purple flowers and the most exquisite decorations. There were white fancy chairs lined up in rows of ten on each side of the aisle almost all the way down to the river near the entrance of the property. Alice looked down at the bench where years before, she wept at the thought of coming face with a large, frightening creature called the Jabberwocky. Who knew she'd be here years later, safe and sound and accompanied by her mother this time. She speculated if her mother figured out that "Wonderland" is actually a real place by now. Though, it looked like she was holding up well here. It appeared that her friends already loved her mother and the feeling was reciprocated by Helen. It was a bit funny because her mother didn't seem like the type of person who could stand such a whimsical place. Alice felt footsteps behind her. She turned her head and saw Hatter approaching her with a small smile. She smiled back as Hatter pointed down to the bottom of her dress, "I saw a seam there start to tear apart and just thought I'd fix it up for you." Alice looked down to see a string of thread falling off her dress onto the floor and a small hem beginning to fall apart, "Oh, it's no big deal. It's hardly noticeable." Hatter fumbled with a tiny case until he found a spool of thread and a needle. He knelt down to her feet and began to work at it, "It's possible to step on it and trip. I don't want you to fall and hurt yourself." He looked up at her and reassured her with a smile. Alice's eyes met his and she noticed a twinkle in his eyes. She recalled that same twinkle when she snapped him out of his moment of rage at Salazen Grum. Alice hummed and looked away before he could catch her blush. She looked out the window as he worked on her dress. "Is the entire kingdom wearing purple?" she asked him as she studied the guests' clothing. "Yes. You see, it's kind of like Keltikidik, the day Underland celebrated the White Queen with only white. Since she's getting married today, we're celebrating with purple. It's her second favorite color." She looked back down at him, "How curious." She examined Hatter's skillful hand move this way and that. Alice heard more footsteps behind coming her way. "Enjoying the view?" Helen asked her daughter. "Beautiful, isn't it," Alice commented as Helen stood next to her taking in the view outside the small window. "Lord William seems like a flirtatious man. I wonder if he's like that around every woman he meets. The queen is obviously awfully blinded by her love. Poor woman," Helen half-whispered to Alice, "Plus there's something off about him. I can't put my finger on it." Alice gave her mother a look seeing as Hatter could hear what she said. Hatter chipped in, "I agree with you, Mrs. Kingsleigh. His first impression on me wasn't a good one. I think he's the type of lad to have secret lovers behind the queen's back. My father was right." Alice was taken aback by his words. "Other than the slight uncomfortable feeling I have around him, I happen to think he's very friendly. He seems genuine," she paused as if in thought, "and there was something in his eyes that made me feel something. I just don't know what." She whispered the last part, though Helen and Hatter could hear her just fine, and stared out into space. Mrs. Kingsleigh and Tarrant looked at each other strangely then back at Alice. Alice shook her head a little like she was coming out of a trance. For an odd reason, she couldn't recall the last ten seconds. "Well...I'm done," Hatter got up from his position and smiled at Alice once again. "Thank you," Alice told him as she looked down. Her dress was as good as new. "Madam," he nodded to Helen and walked back to his family sitting around one of the tables in the center of the room. Mrs. Kingsleigh looked down at her daughter's dress, "That man looks very in love with you," she looked her in the eyes as Alice's face got red, "Is there something I need to know?" Her mother teased her. Alice looked back at the Hatter, who was conversing and laughing with his family. "We're only friends, mother." She glanced back at Helen, "Besides, even if-" she was cut off by McTwisp announcing the initiation of the ceremony. "Come, my darling." Helen took Alice's arm in hers and they walked behind the Hightopps. They made their way down to the garden.


	9. Chapter 9

The Kingsleighs sat on the right side of the aisle while the Hightopps sat on the left side. The rest of the guests finally showed up and filled every seat of the queen's garden. Future King William was up front with McTwisp waiting for his beloved queen with the biggest smile on his face. He certainly looked very emotional. Underland was awaiting it's ruling couple to make their love official. "The more I look at Lord William, the more I find him familiar," Helen whispered to her daughter. "I'm sure there's absolutely nothing wrong with him, mother," Alice replied doubtfully while glancing at William, who was winking over to some ladies behind her who were swooning at him. "I think you've hit your head a tad too hard when you landed here," Alice told her mother then proceeded to ask, "I'm well curious as to how you ended up here. Have you started remembering what happened that led you here?" She asked her next question with caution, "Did you travel through the mirror in our shop?" She looked at her mother who quickly expressed a look of realization. "Yes yes, how did you k-," Alice interrupted her, "Let's just say I've traveled through multiple mirrors to go between Underland and London. Do you perhaps recall anything else?" Mixed between realization and shocked Mrs. Kingsleigh said in a whispered but firm tone, "I do remember something. I recall rough hands of a man. They...They pulled me into the mirror, in our shop, but that's all I can remember." Alice didn't have much time to react to her mother's statement. Bells rang in the distance as Mirana approached the altar. She was dressed in a lavender gown similar to the one she wore on Toomalie day. She was absolutely breathtaking; she had all the guests completely mesmerized. Mirana was being escorted by Chessur, who was floating in the air. He had his little arm hooked around the queen's. The Tweedles, Thackery, Bayard, and Mally followed behind them, tossing purple and white flower petals all over the aisle - and a few guests. They got to the altar at last, and Alice noticed that Chessur, as he handed his queen to the groom, gave him a displeased look then vanished into thin air. "Please take your seats everyone," McTwisp, who was the officiant, demanded. "You're all late for the wedding!" Thackery bellowed from the middle of the aisle and pulled a teacup out of nowhere. Everybody knew what to expect from the mad march hare. The White Queen, smiling brightly, grabbed William and dragged him down with her. The hare threw the cup at the couple, barely missing them and the white rabbit. Thackery then hopped to the left and calmly took a seat next to the Hightopps. Everybody's heads popped back up. Mirana still smiling, pulled her future husband back up and said to him, "That was for good luck."

Every now and then, Alice would catch Lord William stealing peeks at her when he would turn to face Mirana. It made her feel awkward. But also she couldn't help but look back at him. It was as if something was pulling her to him. This was the moment she began suspecting there was something shady going on seeing as the queen disregarded his actions and just gazed at him lovingly. "By the authority vested in me," McTwisp declared, distracting Alice of her thoughts, "I now pronounce you husband and wife - and the Royal Couple of Underland!" King William leaned in to kiss his queen but she beat him to it by dipping him and giving him a passionate smooch on the lips. Underland cheered in admiration of their new king and royal couple. When Mirana pulled him back up, King William looked frightened but nonetheless happy, and he embraced his queen. "Everybody is welcome into the grand hall, where the reception will be held," the White Queen announced waving an arm towards the palace, "My new husband and I will join you there in a moment." King William held his hand out for her to take. They strolled off the altar and down the aisle then the guests followed behind. "There is something very abnormal going on here Hatter," Alice whispered to him as they met and walked behind the Hightopps into the reception hall. He nodded agreeing with her statement.

The guests filled up the hall and patiently waited for the couple. There were plenty of seats for everyone; each table had about ten chairs each. There was enough space in the middle of the room for everybody to dance all at once. Bright white lights shone from the top of the room to the bottom at the entrance of the hall. Two men opened the doors and in came the king and queen of Underland dressed in new clothes fit for a party - though they still looked elegant. They walked in and shared their first dance as a married couple while the kingdom admired them. They danced a waltz for a good five minutes. "Dinner is served!" Mirana yelled as she and William took their seats. The Hightopps and the Kingsleighs sat down together at table that barely fit them all. Since they were her guests of honor, Mirana sat close to her friends. About an hour passed and the guests were fed. Now it was time to hit the dance floor. The music was similar to that of where she lived. A folk-ish song was playing and Alice lightly tapped her foot on the ground to the beat. Tarrant noticed her also bobbing her head slightly, so he rose from his seat and went over to her. "Would you care to dance?" he asked her while he held out his hand for her. She hesitated a bit but got the courage to accept. "Excuse me," she told her mother. Alice took his hand and they walked out onto the dance floor with a few other couples who were dancing. Hatter placed his free hand on her waist, something he dared not to do in the past, and Alice placed hers over his shoulder. "Hold on. This isn't the normal dance you're used to," he warned her before leading her into a cross between hops and leaps and a strange waltz dance. It was definitely a bit more upbeat but she could take it. She quite enjoyed it until the song ended and a slower one replaced it. "How about one more?" Hatter suggested. "Why not," Alice answered him and smiled. They got deep into the music as they lightly moved their feet. Somewhere in the middle of the song, Alice settled her head on his chest as they moved their arms closer to each other. He was somewhat startled at her sudden action but also put his head close to hers and closed his eyes. Neither of them knew what was going on but it felt right dancing and being there in each other's arms. 'What is this feeling?' Alice thought to herself. "Just look at those two," Zanik whispered to Helen, "All I see is love when they're around each other." Helen looked at him then looked at the pair dancing a little too close for her liking. Something deep down in her didn't like the sight of them being so close or being 'in love.' "Tarrant claims they're friends, but I see something more," Zanik spoke up once more. "I sure hope they are ONLY friends," Helen retorted as she remembered James and she half-whispered to herself, "She might break someone's heart up where we live."


	10. Chapter 10

William and Mirana sat at a table directly behind the Hightopps and Mrs. Kingsleigh. William rose from his seat and said to his new bride, "I'm going to go freshen up. I will be right back." He gave her hand a small and tender kiss and smiled down at her before leaving to the restroom. Alice and Hatter were still dancing. She opened her eyes and noticed her mother's look of boredom mixed with disapproval. 'I can fix that' she thought as she lifted her head from Hatter's chest and created a space between them. "Is something the matter, dear?" Hatter whispered while giving her a look of slight concern. "I need a favor," Alice quietly said and proceeded to whisper into his ear while glancing at her mother. 'What are those two up to?' Helen thought when she saw the pair looking in her direction. Hatter began walking over to her then extended his hand out. "Mrs. Kingsleigh, would you like to dance?" he asked as he shot her a bright grin. She furrowed her brows not liking the idea, but she didn't have time to respond as Tarrant grabbed her hand and quickly led her to the dance floor. "Have fun," Alice grinned at her mother who only frowned back at her. She walked back to the table but noticed that the queen was sitting alone so she went to accompany her. 'This might be a good time to ask her a few questions' she thought as she walked over to her queen.

"Have you seen my Tweedles?" a concerned Mirana asked Alice as she turned her head looking through the crowds of guests. "No, your majesty," Alice replied, "They're probably around somewhere. You know how those boys can be." Mirana seemed more relaxed after Alice reassured her, "You're right. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about." Alice sat down in the empty seat next to the queen. They sat in a comfortable silence then Alice began, "Did you reconcile with your sister?" The White Queen's joyful expression quickly turned into a sorrowful one as her dark eyes fell to her lap. Alice regretted touching on the subject. 'Maybe it didn't turn out as well as I thought' she pondered. Mirana suddenly spoke up, slightly raising her head as she gazed out at her merry guests. "Yes, we did," the queen said before her eyes dropped sadly again, "But Iracebeth decided to reside in the Outlands. She said it was the best for everyone after all the pain she caused in Underland during her reign." As horrid as the Red Queen was, Alice couldn't help but feel bad for the sisters' situation. "I'm sorry," she said as she rested her hand on the queen's excessively pale one. She could see the tears about to fall from her brown eyes as Mirana looked at her and gave her a small smile. Alice decided to lighten up the conversation, "Tell me about your new husband. King William." The Queen brightened up instantly at the mention of his name. Alice could really tell that she was deeply in love with him and she was genuinely happy for her. She wished she could say the same for him. "Well, it was quite odd how we met I'll tell you," Mirana told the girl as she had a quick flashback, "He was roaming the fields just outside my castle. I was returning from a friend's home with my guards when I caught him wandering Marmoreal. His actions were quite skeptical indeed. But then I began to speak with him and he was the loveliest person I've ever met. And long story short we fell in love and here we are." Alice was intrigued by the White Queen's story. She could see her eyes glistening just thinking about William. Even though the story seemed sweet, Alice was still suspicious of the new king. "And he surely must come from somewhere," the blonde girl interjected. Mirana frowned and answered, "He told me he's from near the Outlands, an kingdom by the name of Umbridge," Alice's eyes grew wide open as the queen finished, "Although I've never heard of such a place." She tilted her head and continued, "But then again I've never really explored every inch of Underland." Alice, hardly listening to her last words and very confused, whispered to herself, "But it's not real?" Her eyes darted all over the table in search of an explanation. "What was that?" Mirana turned her head to Alice as she was brought back to reality. "Nothing your majesty. Please excuse me," Alice responded as she rose from the king's seat but bumped into something as she got up. "Oh I'm so sorry, Miss Kingsleigh," King William apologized as he held Alice's hand. "Erm, may I have a dance with Underland's champion, I mean if it is quite alright with my queen of course?" He looked past Alice at Mirana. "Oh yes, please do," Mirana said enthusiastically, smiling up at both of them. William glanced back at Alice, waiting for a response. 'I might be able to get something out of him' Alice thought then spoke up, "Why not? One dance won't hurt." She flashed an uncomfortable smile at him as he led her to the dance floor.

Helen and Tarrant went back to a table as the new king and Alice commenced dancing. As they sat down from their vigorous dance, Tarrant faced Helen and stated, "See it wasn't that bad, Mrs. Kingsleigh. Did you have fun?" Helen sat hunched over rubbing her right foot and she laughed a bit as she said, "Apart from being exhausted, I did enjoy that. Thank you Tarrant." She sat up and squeezed his hand lightly as she smiled at the young man. He smiled back at her but his face fell slightly at the sight of his friend dancing with the queen's husband. He wished he was in his place at the moment. Helen noticed the boy giving her daughter heart eyes. She was displeased at this sight when James' proposal to Alice popped into her mind. It was clear that both Tarrant and Mr. Harcourt were in love with Alice. 'I need him far from her. She can't be in love with him. She has a fine man waiting for her in London.' Helen thought. She had to do something about this.


	11. Chapter 11

A slow song was playing in the background as Alice and William danced. The king pulled the young blonde girl close to him. A tad too close for comfort. Alice watched out of the corner of her eye to see if the queen was watching but saw that she was distracted somewhere else. Mirana seemed to be anxious about something as she was discussing it with a few of her guards. Alice frowned and her face fell. Lord William noticed and spoke up, "What troubles you, Miss Kingsleigh?" He seemed genuinely concerned for the girl but she could see right through him unlike her unknowing but dear White Queen. "Alice," she corrected him. She believed 'Miss Kingsleigh' was too proper and serious for her and she was anything but that. She dared to continue while trying to keep a straight face.

"I hope she doesn't get too close to that man. Mr. Harcourt could get jealous," Helen stated and Tarrant turned his head immediately to her. She looked over at him to see what he would say. "What do you mean?" the madman asked her. He definitely seemed interested in the topic. 'Maybe he'll stay away from Alice after he hears this. I can't have her living in this strange world.' Helen thought. She turned her whole body to face the boy and scooted closer to him. "My daughter is going to be married to the most charming young man in all of London. His name is James Harcourt," Mrs. Kingsleigh stated carefully, trying to keep him far from Alice but at the same time, trying not to break his heart entirely.

"What game are you playing, Lord William?" Alice asked him straight up to his face. Her eyes never leaving his. William looked down and smiled as he raised his head to meet her face again. That mischievous smirk told her everything. He rose an eyebrow and corrected her, "King William." Alice looked up at him and kept a smile as not to stir alarm with the guests. He continued to talk, "You slurvish girl. You're not as stupid as I'd thought you'd be." She gave him an uncomfortable smile as they were still dancing close and responded, "Quite the opposite. Why have you lied to Queen Mirana about where you're from and how do you know of such a place?" She referred to him telling her majesty that he was from Umbridge, a land made up by Alice while trying to stay alive during the Red Queen's rule. "Ah, wit and shrewdness. Two grand qualities I admire in women as opposed to her Unmindful Highness," he broke apart from Alice quickly, mocking Mirana's arm movements. "I'm not as I appear, you now see. You caught my little white lie. Let's just say I'm from the dangerous part of Underland where no one dares to enter. Many creatures who could rip you to shreds in an instant. A land of many vicious muds. Very gorgeous place I must say," William whispered to Alice. He spoke almost like Chessur. This sent shivers down her spine. She wasn't sure what to say to him as he now frightened her. "A little birdy told me all about your small lie a few years back in order to retrieve the Vorpal Sword. There will be revenge for everything you've done." Still a bit confused she proceeded to ask, "What do you want with the queen?... Harm her?... Take her crown?" He smiled as they twirled on the dance floor, "You'll find out soon enough, doll face." Alice pulled away from him to head towards Mirana, "I must tell the queen." William pulled her arm back and held her close, "She'll never believe you. She's too in love with me as anyone can clearly see. You wouldn't want to break her heart, would you dear?" He chuckled to himself and continued, "This is between you and me, darling," he leaned closer to Alice and threatened her, "If one word about this slips out of your mouth, you won't see sunrise, got it?"

Tarrant felt his heart shatter into a million pieces at the sound that Alice was to be wedded to another man. He felt sick to his stomach. 'I should've told her what I felt for her years ago' he thought. There were many thoughts going through his clustered mind. Though, Alice had always taken up most of the space up there. Helen noticed his eyes slightly turning grey. "Excuse me for a moment, Mrs. Kingsleigh," he smiled but kept his gaze to the floor as he walked behind her and out of the ballroom and towards the garden. 'Perhaps I came on too strong' Helen thought as she watched him with sad eyes. She slightly regretted telling him that. She contemplated on going after him but stayed put.

Lord William clutched firmly onto Alice's waist and held her closer - if that was even possible - and purred into her ear, "I really fancy you Alice," he paused, "Won't you join us, love?" She leaned far from his face and replied in a low voice, "Never. Get away from me." He smiled and whispered, "You will soon, pet," as she ripped away from his grip. Over his shoulder, she could see the Hatter, who looked pretty upset, get out of his chair and rush out of the room. Just as the song was ending, Alice curtsied to Lord William quickly without looking him in the eyes and swiftly made her way out of the ballroom in the direction of the garden, chasing Hatter. She was greatly worried for her friend, who seemed happy merely minutes before. She also needed some air and time to think about what just happened between her and William. 'I guess we're both having dilemmas' Alice thought as she exited the building and searched for Hatter.


	12. Chapter 12

Hey guys! Thank you for your feedback/comments on this story, I appreciate it so much :) I'm super sorry that the chapters are so short; I'm trying to work on that! Stay tuned -teatimeforever🐇

'This is going to take a while' Alice thought as she was greeted by Mirana's massive garden surrounded by pine trees, the same one the White Queen led her through so that she could speak with Absolem. The same one where she wept before she came to a grand realization. "I really am a stupid girl," she whispered to herself while replaying the blue caterpillar's words in her head. 'I should have warned Mirana. Who knows what William is planning to do' she thought. She shook her head as horrid thoughts ran through her mind. She needed to do something, but first, the Hatter needed her help. She continued onto her path through the courtyard, confused on where to look for her friend. Where did he run off to? "Hatter!" she called out as she entered the dimly lit garden.

"Tarrant, what's the matter?" Chessur snuck up behind then appeared right next to the Hatter, startling him tremendously. Tarrant was sat on the bench where Alice once sat, pondering on whether she'd face the Jabberwocky or not. He was enjoying the serene view of the waterfall before him. He was just starting to collect the idea that Alice was going to get married - and he probably couldn't do anything about it. "You blasted cat! You scared the living daylights out of me! You ill-mannered creature!" he yelled at the cat almost not letting him finish his question. Chessur was slightly taken aback at his outbursts. "You've just confirmed to me that something is bothering you," the cat said, showing a bit of compassion to his friend. "It's that obvious," Tarrant said in a low voice and questionable tone, taking his gaze away from the waterfall to his lap. His head fell and he sighed. The cat had known that ever since the Frabjous day when Alice decided to leave Underland, the Hatter had lost a bit of his muchness. He, and anyone with eyes, could see that Alice and Tarrant loved each other very deeply. They instantly clicked and they had this special bond. Though he let her go twice, Tarrant's feelings for the young blonde girl remained the same. It was obvious to all their friends - especially Mally. Reading the Hatter's thoughts, Chessur spoke up, "Why don't you just come clean and tell her how you feel about her?" Tarrant looked up at him in surprise at first then responded, rather angrily, "I can't. Don't you see," he paused and looked steadily at the waterfall as his tone became softer, "certainly she doesn't feel the same way about me or she wouldn't be getting married...besides, even if she did care for me, we're from two different worlds, Chess." Chessur glanced sorrowfully at his friend and he was almost sure he saw a single tear roll down his pale cheek. The cat placed a comforting paw on his shoulder. "You both are such blind idiots," Chessur simply mumbled and disappeared immediately, leaving the Mad Hatter puzzled.

"Ha-?" Alice called out while turning a corner and seeing her friend sitting on a bench overlooking the waterfall. She smiled at the sight of a calmer hatter. She slowly walked in his direction and sat down next to him. He turned to her quickly and smiled down at her instantly when he recognized her. "You found me," he grinned. "I sat here before I fought the Jabberwocky," she started as she looked down at her hands, twiddling her thumbs, "Absolem helped me on that decision very much...And that moment was also when I began to comprehend the idea that Wonderland was Underland. And that it was real...And so were you." She turned her head a little to meet his eyes and faintly chuckled. He smiled back at her but he was still a bit disconnected, she could see. "Tell me what's wrong, Hatter," Alice said to him, looking up at him completely, never diverting her stare. 'Perhaps Chessur had a point' Tarrant thought to himself as he decided it was time for her to know what he had been holding in for so long. "First, you tell me something," he demanded. "Look...I can't stop...and...I haven't stopped thinking about you since the Gribling day. And I've always felt there was a part of me missing when you weren't here. And I just can't keep this thought, these sentiments, in any longer," his large green eyes met her hazel ones, he saw that she had a dumbfounded look on her face but continued, "After our adventures, I can't deny that I've fallen hard for you, Alice..." He searched her face for some type of reaction but only saw bewilderment. She looked at him as if she was hypnotized. The girl seemed at loss for words. He instantly felt shame and regret for pouring his heart out to her. "I knew that was a bad idea. Oh, I'm ter-," he began to apologize but was cut off as Alice leaned forward swiftly and caught his lips in her own. Hatter's eyes grew bigger in astonishment, but he gently closed his eyes as he got lost in the kiss. He carefully placed both his pale hands on Alice's cheeks as she pulled him closer by grabbing onto his arms, both fully engulfed in the kiss. This was everything they both could have ever wanted; this kiss filled one of those empty holes they both felt each time they were isolated from one another. Though he enjoyed the moment, the voice inside Hatter told him this kiss was wrong.


	13. Chapter 13

Tarrant had to put an end to this quickly. "Stop," he moaned as he hastily retracted from their deep kiss. He still held her face with his hands looking the girl straight in the eyes. A puzzled, breathless Alice stared back at him. The both of them were panting softly under their breath afraid of what to say next. Several questions ran through Alice's mind, one being 'What just happened?' and another being 'Why did he stop kissing me?' The Hatter wanted to continue kissing her. He scanned her face thinking how beautiful the blonde girl looked in this moonlight. How perfect their kiss was. How perfect she was in every aspect. His heart ached for this moment for many years yet he never found the courage to do what she did only minutes before, let alone come clean about his feelings. His mind, however, told him that confessing his feelings to her was a mistake. Tarrant's gaze fell as he said to her, "This is wrong." Alice wasn't very surprised at the statement considering that it was quite inappropriate for them to be doing something so intimate as kissing without courtship. Even so, she never really followed the rules of society. She knew there was something more to what he was saying - but what was it? He took his hands off her cheeks, got up and paced in front of Alice before mumbling, "Mr. Harcourt will be so angry. Coming between you two would be the last thing I want. I apologize, I shouldn't have said what I did." Alice had lost him at Harcourt. Muddled, she repeated almost to herself, "Mr. Harcourt?" How does Hatter know of this man from Upperland? The Hatter stopped pacing and took his seat, "Don't tell me you've already forgotten of your betrothed?!" The Hatter looked at Alice in an appalled manner and continued, "You've only been-" Alice thought of who could have spread such a rumour as she interjected, "How do you know about Mr. Harcourt?! And why are you calling him my betrothed?!...Wait," she paused from her small fit. Hatter looked at her with worried eyes. "My mother told you didn't she?" Alice asked him knowingly. "Yes," he answered, unsure of what she would do next. She tried to put the puzzle together in her head. How did she know that James proposed to her? Why did she lie to Hatter? Alice became frustrated. Then the obvious hit her. "I can't stay here," she simply said. Hatter soon understood. This wasn't her world and he knew she'd have to leave sooner or later. Engaged or not. They both had to accept that. She was going to leave after tonight anyway. They looked at each other knowingly. "Oh Hatter, I'm so sorry," Alice gave his hands a firm squeeze. She got up but stopped and turned around and told him, "Kiss me one last time." The Hatter obeyed but only lightly brushed his lips against hers. He wanted to respect this 'James Harcourt' but his emotions got the better of him, as they always do. He pulled away from her shortly after the kiss. Alice shot him a sad smile without making eye contact and walked away in frustration to find her mother. Tarrant watched her sadly as she went back into the castle.

"...And that's why he is the way he is," Mrs. Hightopp finished telling Mrs. Kingsleigh a story. "Excuse me, mother," Alice interrupted their conversation causing Helen to look at her daughter in a concerned way. "Is something the matter, my darling," her mother asked. "May I have a word with you out in the hallway?" Alice requested. "Pardon me, Tyva," Helen excused herself to Mrs. Hightopp. She followed her daughter to a quiet area in the hall. "How long did you know that James planned on proposing to me?" Alice asked her sternly. Mrs. Kingsleigh sighed and replied, "He spoke to me as soon as we got off the Wonder." She could tell that Alice was very upset. "And you didn't warn me before I went out to the dock and made a fool of the both of us?!...I...I didn't even know he had such feelings for me. The poor boy. I left him standing there...I didn't even get the chance to give him an answer," Alice's voice grew softer at her last sentence. Helen was shocked at her words, "You didn't say yes?!" Alice saw the look of disappointment across her mother's face and quietly said, "No, I didn't have time to respond as I saw Hatter and ended up chasing him. And, well, here we are." Helen flashed a sudden look of anger, "That man's holding you back, Alice." Tears were beginning to form in the blonde girl's eyes. She softly asked her mother, "Why did you tell him that I was engaged?" Mrs. Kingsleigh said, "I can see you two are quite fond of each other. I don't want to see you get hurt, dear," she paused and continued, "This is not your world. You know that. It's better that you forget about Tarrant and let go of this Wonderland of yours. This isn't your home." Alice knew it was the truth even if it tore her heart apart. 'Forget about the love of my life? Forget about all the wonderful people I've met here?' She became lost in her thoughts. 'I might never see them again after tonight.' Perhaps her mother had a point. Perhaps it was better to marry James and forget about everything in Underland. Perhaps it was time to finally settle down in life. A tear trickled down her cheek. Alice roughly said, "Let's go." Mrs. Kingsleigh grabbed her arm lightly and asked, "Don't you want to say goodbye to your friends?" Alice's mind flashed back to her first kiss with Hatter. She wiped the tear and stated, "I've said enough." They walked down the hall in search for the looking glass to take them back home. "Down there," Alice recognized it and pointed at it. She took a final glance around the hall and stepped into the looking glass but as soon as she came in contact with the mirror, she collided with something on the other side. Actually, no...it was a someone. The sudden impact made Alice shriek as she and this someone came crashing back down hard onto Mirana's white tiles. She shook her head and looked to see who landed on top of her. Alice and Mrs. Kingsleigh couldn't believe their eyes.


	14. Chapter 14

"Mr. Harcourt?!" Alice exclaimed from under him while rubbing her head. "Alice! I'm so delighted to have found you. I've been looking everywhere for you! Eh...are you crying?" He stated then noticed the awkward position they were in. "Mr. Harcourt, I think it'd be best if you'd please get off my daughter," Helen whispered to him. "Oh heavens! Do pardon me," he said and got up with the help of Mrs. Kingsleigh. He then extended a hand down to Alice which she gladly took. Then he embraced her in a tight hug. "James! How on earth did you get here?" she asked him. "Well, as I said I was looking for you. Nobody seemed to know where you or Mrs. Kinglseigh ran off to. I went back to the study and noticed it was locked but there was something glowing brightly inside. So I took the spare key you've given me once," James took the key out of his pocket and showed it to them, "I went in and realized it was your father's mirror. I became mesmerized by it and it lured me in. Then somehow I ended up here." Alice and Helen frowned at him in bewilderment. "It's never done that before," Alice said to her mother and went to check the looking glass. She placed her hand on it but realized it wouldn't go through. She placed her body against it but still nothing. "That's peculiar," she paused and asked herself, "how are we supposed to get home?" She turned around to face her mother and James, "We may be stuck here a while."

The trio began to walk back into the ballroom. 'Maybe the queen knows what's going on' Alice thought. "Come with us, James. We must consult the queen. She'll know what to do," she guided him back to the table next to the Hightopps. James looked out a large window as they made their way to the ballroom. "What are you ladies doing here anyway?...Where am I?" he asked them. "It's quite a long story but basically today is the White Queen's wedding day and we were very cordially invited and well this is-," Alice answered but James interjected, "Underland!" Alice looked at him oddly. "We're in Underland aren't we?" He asked her enthusiastically. "Wow, so you do listen to my stories," Alice said proudly. "I find them intriguing," he told her and smiled at her. "How fascinating!" James stated while looking around the castle. They reached their table and she noticed that Hatter had returned to his seat with his family. The Hightopps were laughing and chatting away but Alice could tell the Hatter wasn't as engulfed in their conversation. Mrs. Kingsleigh and James sat down as Alice told them, "I'll be right back," and walked towards Mirana. "Your majesty, I need you to come see something rather urgent," she said to the queen, earning herself a worried glance. Alice looked back at her table and saw Hatter walking over to Mrs. Kingsleigh and Mr. Harcourt, eyeing the young gentleman curiously. "Hello, I don't believe we've met." He said to James. Alice quickly paced over to the table and told him, "Hatter, this is Mr. James Harcourt...my fiancé." James looked up at Alice in surprise, "You _are_ going to marry me?" He whispered to her. She tried to put on a smile and quietly said, "Yes." Mr. Harcourt took her hand and grinned widely at her. Mirana's jaw dropped at the word 'fiancé' and she bellowed out, "Fiancé?! Alice! You never told us you were getting married?" Alice responded, "I guess it's no longer a secret." The queen's eyes wandered in the direction of the Hatter but quickly shifted back to the blonde girl. She hesitated a bit but told Alice, "Congratulations!" Everyone else had heard the conversation as the queen blurted most of it out. Among the many happy faces of the guests in the room and the cheering for the champion, Alice's friends didn't seem to take it as happy news, especially Tarrant.

"Have the Tweedles shown up yet?" Alice asked Mirana as the group walked back to the mirror down the hall. Hatter, Mallymkun, and Bayard tagged along with them to see what this issue was. "No...in fact, half my court has also vanished. I wonder where everybody is running off to," the queen replied and frowned. "Hm, I'm sure they'll show up soon," was all Alice managed to get out. Alice thought about what William said to her back when they were dancing. Chills ran down her spine. How very convenient that he wasn't here at the moment. There was no doubt in her mind that the new king had some play in these disappearances. But what could she do about it? Her queen believed him to be the perfect person when it was obvious he wasn't. There were many things about Lord William that Alice had to figure out. For now, she had to resolve this problem. The group finally stood before the mirror.


	15. Chapter 15

"So you were saying that you couldn't pass through to your world?" Mirana asked for confirmation. "Yes, right after James jumped through, it just stopped working I guess," Alice answered. The queen went to place her hand on the surface and sure enough her hand wouldn't go through. She stepped back and tried to think as she put a hand under her chin. Meanwhile, the Hatter was hitting his body against the mirror trying to get to the other side without any success. Then, out of nowhere, Lord William came strolling around from a corner of the palace and down to where the group was. "Have I missed anything?" He asked as he raised a brow at the Hatter who was, rather violently, hitting himself against the looking glass. "Work, you bloody piece of slurking, urpal," Tarrant was about to continue but thankfully Mally and Bayard snapped him out of it by yelling, "Hatter!" They both nudged their heads in the direction of their friends who were hearing his quite rude words. His face reddened as he apologized, "Sorry, everyone." Then he continued to thump his body against the mirror's surface while mumbling to himself. Alice eyed William suspiciously. 'I'm almost certain he has something to do with the mirror not working' she thought. Mirana looked up at her husband in worry and told him, "They can't seem to get to their world. I think the portal's closed." William worriedly looked at her then back to the Hatter who was still attempting to get to the other side, "Oh how unfortunate," then the king glanced at Alice, Helen, and James and continued, "Well until we get this issue resolved, why don't you stay here in the castle." He grinned widely at them, causing Alice to feel unnerved as she looked away. Suddenly, Hatter stopped hitting the looking glass and quickly turned to face Lord William, "I think it's best for them to stay at my home." William smiled at him and said, "We have thousands of rooms here in the palace." Tarrant was growing more suspicious of him but smiled back and responded, "I'm sure they would be more comfortable with me." William took a step back and simply stated, "Suit yourselves."

The Hightopps, the Kingsleighs, and James walked back to the Hatter's house. Alice walked alongside her mother and her fiancé. As James was about to intertwine his hand with Alice's, she shifted away and told him, "I need to speak with Hatter." She gave him a warm smile and caught up with her friend. "What game do you think he's playing," Alice quietly asked the Hatter. "I haven't a clue but I believe he wants us to be a part of it...Do you think he has to do with the looking glass problem?" He asked her, searching her face in the moonlight. The blonde girl seemed to be deep in thought then softly said, "Maybe I should've stayed at the castle...to look after Mirana." She feared for the safety of her queen and for others in the castle. William was not to be trusted. "Queen Mirana is strong. She knows how to take care of herself. She's done that for ages...Besides, I'm sure the bloke wouldn't bring harm to his own wife." Hatter stated, calming her down a bit. Still, Alice felt a bit of guilt within her.

Everybody was getting ready for bed in the Hightopp household. Tarrant was just about to go downstairs when he stumbled into James. "You know I never really got your name," James stopped him in his tracks and smiled at him. "Tarrant Hightopp, royal hatter at your service," the Mad Hatter tipped his hat to the young man, smiling back at him. "Oh right! Hatter," James responded enthusiastically, "Mr. HIghtopp, it's so nice to meet you. Alice has told me so much about you." The Hatter felt a slight blush creeping onto his cheeks and told him, "Yes, well we've been on quite a lot of adventures together and she's my closest friend. Though it's funny she never mentioned you before we-," Tarrant was beginning to ramble on and his eyes grew wide as he realized he was about to reveal something that happened earlier that night. James's face fell from contentment to concern as he waited for the Hatter to continue his sentence. Tarrant awkwardly cleared his throat and proceeded to talk with his friend's fiancé, "Alice is very lovely. You're a lucky lad." He smiled at James and patted him on the shoulder before hurriedly leaving him alone with a curious look on his face. "Indeed," James replied then turned and entered his room.


	16. Chapter 16

That night Alice tossed and turned in bed, unable to rid her mind of William's words during their brief dance, which seemed like hours to her. She was surprised that her mother didn't wake from her movements as she was sleeping right next to her. She turned once more and stared up at the ceiling trying to conjure up what she should - or _if she would_ \- do about the queen's situation. 'I can't just sleep here soundly while Mirana could be in potential danger in her own castle' she thought. She grimaced as she recalled the new king's words. _'There will be revenge for everything you've done...Won't you join us love?'_ She felt sick just thinking about it. 'Wait' she thought. Alice frowned and sat up carefully, trying not to startle her mother. " _Us_ ," she whispered to herself. 'Who's us? Who could he possibly be working with?' she thought. That did it. She had to go find out what was going on with that unpleasant, repulsive man. But she needed to let Hatter know first, he was one of the only people she trusted the most. He might be able to help her.

Alice was cautious when sneaking out of her room. She didn't need her mother having more problems and stress. She tip-toed silently to the door watching her mum, who was sleeping peacefully on her right side facing away from her daughter. Alice smiled at how relaxed her mother looked; she had never seen her so tranquil. Alice believed she even heard a few light snores. So hurriedly, but quietly, she slipped out of the room and headed down to Hatter's. She lightly gave the door a couple knocks to see if he was awake. Nothing. Then again, she remembered it was around 3 am, so why would anyone be awake at this hour? Alice suddenly felt foolish for trying to see if her friend was awake at such a dreadfully early hour. 'I shall speak to him in the morning' she thought and turned around, beginning to walk away when the door behind her opened abruptly. She immediately turned around to face what seemed to be a wide awake Hatter. "I assume you can't sleep either," he whispered to her. She felt relieved that she didn't wake him up. Her small smile soon turned into a demeanor of seriousness as she quickly whispered back to him, "I need to speak with you...about something rather urgent." Tarrant felt an uneasiness come over him as he heard the tone in his friend's voice. "Come in," he whispered, cracking the door fully open and letting her come into his room.

"Why hadn't you told me this at the castle!" Hatter exclaimed, trying to keep his voice down because the rest of the household was asleep. "I wanted to, trust me, but I guess I got distracted when James made a...quite unexpected appearance...," Alice replied and lowered her voice more - if that was even possible - and proceeded, "...and William also threatened me." The Hatter's eyes widened as his expression turned to that of anger, "That's it. No one messes with my friends! I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!" Tarrant rose from the bed where they sat and headed towards the door. "Wait!" Alice whispered and ran to block the door. She faced him and said, "You don't know what he or this person he's working with are capable of. He could harm us or our families if he found out I told you what he told me." The Hatter stared at her for a moment reasoning with himself. Alice placed her hands softly on his arms in an attempt to make him stay, "Please just wait. Perhaps we could find out ourselves what he's planning. What do you say we sneak into Marmoreal and look around for clues?" She raised an eyebrow and waited for a response. The Hatter's frown turned into a smile. His eyes scanned Alice up and down then he looked down at his own figure. He looked back up at her and told her, "Well we can't go out in these dull clothes."


	17. Chapter 17

Alice, realizing she couldn't go sneaking around in her night gown and that she didn't bring extra garments, gave Hatter a sheepish grin and whispered, "Do you possibly have something for me to wear." The Hatter happily responded, "Of course," and let her borrow some of his clothes and quickly adjusted them somewhat to her measurements then he went and got dressed in his everyday attire. Alice gave her sleeping mother a light kiss on the forehead and whispered, "I'm sorry, mother...but there's just something we need to find out and Hatter's the only one I trust." She sighed before making her way out of the bedroom. The pair didn't waste time on getting to the palace. Tarrant and Alice paced to the castle, making sure to be as quiet as possible as not to draw attention from anyone - especially the queen's guards. They crept along the shadows of the castle, which was nearly impossible considering it was all painted the brightest white color. However, they were able to make it past the chess pieces guarding the entrance. They waited for the guards to walk to the other side of the entrance before running in. 'This feels wrong' Alice thought. She was starting to regret coming; she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Hatter, perhaps it wasn't the wisest decision to come here. We should go back," Alice whispered, a hint of worry in her voice. She stopped to face Hatter, who had a determined look on his face. His demeanor changed to that of anger, "And let that pile of slimy shukm scut get away with what he said to you?!" He sighed and calmed down, "We have to figure out what William's up to, lass. He could hurt Mirana or the kingdom or Underland itself!" He placed a hand on her shoulder, "Besides, I'm right here beside you, so you're safe." He gave her a warm smile which she returned. She gave him a quick nod and they went on their way. "Do you know where the queen's room is?" She asked Hatter. He motioned for her to follow him and they found themselves right below Mirana's balcony. "But how do we get up there?" She asked him. "You don't think I've come prepared?" Hatter smirked, showing her a rope he took out of his satchel, which Alice didn't realize he was even carrying. They latched one end of the rope to the balcony and hoisted themselves up. Still being careful not to get caught, the pair got on their knees and crawled to the White Queen's window to find her hypnotized by William. He had his back to the window and was facing Mirana while she was watching him with a mesmerized stare. Alice and Tarrant looked at each other with muddled expressions. They looked back and William was leaving the room and Mirana was laying down on her bed. She fell asleep almost instantly. "Let's go see where William is going," Alice said and they carefully opened the queen's window, tip-toed across the room to the other door, and slipped outside to the hallway. "Where do you think -" Hatter started but was cut off by a familiar cackle coming from around the corner at the end of the hall. Alice's face paled as she looked over at the Hatter, her eyes as wide as his. He gestured to her that they should see who was there - though they had a pretty good idea of who was there. They ran and turned the corner as swiftly and quietly as they could. The pair stopped just before the door where the voices were coming from. "Mirana's study," Tarrant whispered to Alice. She furrowed her brows and walked in front of him to peer into the room. The door was ever so slightly cracked open. She saw a mirror and in its reflection...Alice gestured for Hatter to come closer and peek into the study with her. Shock was written all over their faces as they saw Iracebeth kissing William. Her head seemed to be smaller than ever before, which was a surprise to Alice. They parted, trying to catch their breath and the Red Queen asked him,"Were you able to get it?" William turned away from her, furrowing his brows, "No..but I'm king now and she can't resist me. Soon we shall find a way, love. I promise you." He turned back to Iracebeth and proceeded to kiss her. "What a disgusting excuse of a king," a voice whispered behind Tarrant and Alice, causing them to jump and scream which caused Iracebeth and William to snap their heads in the direction of the door. Alice was the first to respond, "James!" She whisper-yelled and grabbed both his and Hatter's wrists dragging them around the corner hastily before either Iracebeth or William could see them. Iracebeth stood out in the hallway looking for the source of the noise, but she already knew who might have been lurking around there. "Alice," she called out and slowly began stepping closer to where the trio was hiding, "I know you're out there." Alice gestured for the boys to follow her to the White Queen's room, through which they very briskly slipped into. "Come out, come out wherever you are," Iracebeth turned the corner and found nothing, "Hmm." She marched back into Mirana's study and closed the door behind her. She smiled menacingly up at William and asked him, "Are you ready to have some fun, darling?" He caught on and smiled back at her.

Alice made sure the Red Queen had gone before she opened her mouth and spat out at James, "What on earth are you doing here?" James scoffed at her, "I followed you here...It's four in the morning and you're sneaking around with _him_ ," he bitterly pointed towards the Hatter, "How was I supposed to know where you were going?" There was outrage written all over his face. He continued, "For all I know, you could have gone behind my back and -" Alice immediately interrupted him, "Enough, James. You'll startle the queen," they all looked over at Mirana, who was fast asleep. She continued in a lower voice, "Nothing is happening between us," She waved her hand between herself and Hatter, who had his gaze to the ground in shame of what happened earlier, and she quietly sighed, "We came to see what William was up to...and well now that we have an idea, let's take Mirana with us. I'm certain she'll be much safer at Hatter's house." She walked towards the bed but James went and stood in front of her, "Kidnapping the queen," his eyes were wide, "Are you insane?!" She walked around him and simply said, "The best ones are." Tarrant went to the balcony to check if there were guards outside, "All clear." Alice nodded then motioned to Mirana and asked James, "Do you mind?" He hesitated but deep down he trusted her, "Whatever you say, my love." He sweetly smiled at her and very delicately picked up the queen bridal style; he was scared to wake her but no movement or sound seemed to stir the queen. He and Alice looked at each other puzzled as to why she was so deep in the sleep. "Let's go, quickly now," Hatter whispered to them and they fled the palace with Mirana.


End file.
